Seeing Others: How Recognition Works—And How It Can Heal a Divided World

Teaching Guide

Adrienne Chan

Book Summary: (from S&S)

“A thoughtful recipe for building social justice” (Kirkus Reviews) from acclaimed Harvard sociologist Michèle Lamont that makes the case for reexamining what we value—the quest for dignity—in an age that has been defined by growing inequality and the obsolescence of the American dream.

In this capstone work, Michèle Lamont unpacks the power of recognition—rendering others as visible and valued—by drawing on nearly forty years of research and new interviews with young adults and cultural icons—from Cornel West and Michael Schur to Roxane Gay.

Decades of neoliberalism have negatively impacted our sense of self-worth, up and down the income ladder, just as the American dream has become out of reach for most people. By prioritizing material and professional success, we judge ourselves and others in terms of self-reliance, competition, and diplomas. The foregrounding of these attributes of the upper-middle class in our values system feeds into the marginalization of workers, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and minority groups. The solution, Lamont argues, is to shift our focus toward what we have in common while actively working to recognize the diverse ways one can live a life. Building on Lamont’s lifetime of expertise and revelatory connections between broad-ranging issues, Seeing Others delivers realistic sources of hope: by reducing stigma, we put change within reach.

Just as Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone did for a previous generation, Seeing Others strikes at the heart of our modern struggles and illuminates an inclusive path forward with new ways for understanding our world.

Learning goals

Readers will learn how to . . .

Make sense of recognition, dignity, and narratives and how they are important to addressing experiences of inequality

Point to major change agents in their and others’ lives and how they amplify their messages

Understand how boomers and Gen Z differ and converge on the topics of social justice and progress

Promote inclusion and belonging through everyday interactions and decisions

Readers will feel more . . .

Hopeful for the future

Empowered to create social change

Empathetic to those who differ from them

Introduction: The Power of Recognition

Summary and overview:

In the introduction to Seeing Others, Professor Michèle Lamont argues that dignity and worth are necessary to our quality of life and thus should be considered when tackling inequality and discrimination. Worth can be measured in many ways, most commonly through moral, economic, professional, or cultural terms, but not everyone has the same chances to achieve societal definitions of worth. For instance, those with economic privilege can afford tutoring and private school tuition; members of the LGBTQ+ community must cope with the mental consequences of stigmatization; people of color grapple with tokenism and harmful stereotypes. Even for those who are more privileged according to their class identity, there will always be another level to which one must aspire, trapping them in a treadmill chasing the feeling of “being enough.” As Lamont introduces in this chapter, inequality feeds and is reproduced by this limited definition of who matters.

Lamont argues that recognition—the act of “seeing others” and acknowledging their existence and positive worth—is crucial to effect broader cultural change and combat stigmatization, the act of ascribing negative qualities to an individual or group. Recognition is built in many ways, such as through political, legal, and cultural means. Lamont offers Black Panther (2018) as an example of how Black people were recognized through positive representation in film. Those who enable or disable the spread of recognition are called change agents, and change agents of interest in this book are those on the liberal and progressive side of the cultural spectrum, who typically advocate for the recognition of marginalized groups.

Key terms:

Worth

Inequality

Dignity

Recognition

Meritocracy

Change agents

Scripts of self

Discussion questions:

In your own words, what is Lamont’s central argument?

What are different ways of defining a person’s “worth”? What are the flaws in these measures?

Reflect on the role recognition has played in your life. When have you felt “seen” or recognized?

How do we build recognition? Discuss examples of political and legal changes and media and culture that have extended recognition to marginalized groups.

Discuss examples of change agents. Why are they agents of change, and what effects do you think they have on society?

Chapter 1

The View From Above: The Upper-Middle Class and the Failures of the American Dream

Summary and overview:

Lamont explains the American dream, or the idea that the United States is a land of opportunity wherein all can succeed if they work hard enough, and how this narrative has been increasingly shown to be false over history. One can point to rising levels of wealth inequality, challenges to upward mobility, and increased suicide rates to argue that the American dream is mythical. This narrative existed before the neoliberal turn in the 1980s but has grown in dominance as the US adopted pro-market policies and cut welfare programs. The American dream has influenced our way of understanding ourselves and who we ought to be: these resulting neoliberal virtues include individualism, grit, hard work, materialism, self-reliance, and achievement, which are all equated with cultural membership. These qualities define one’s self-worth and sense of belonging.

Under the American dream narrative, “worth” is then determined by our economic success and achievement. This results in a dominant, neoliberal “script of self,” which celebrates the aforementioned qualities. Scripts of self are our beliefs of who we are, who we should be, and our ideals. This ideal self, which is hardworking, college-educated, and financially successful, is reinforced by media portrayals of wealthy individuals living luxurious lives and rags-to-riches television shows.

Lamont explains how this dominant narrative of the ideal self can impact people who belong to the upper-middle class, here defined as college-educated managers and professionals. This strict idea of worth through financial success gives rise to depression and anxiety symptoms across the class spectrum due to overwork and acute competition. The upper-middle class experiences a “fear of falling.” The neoliberal script also leads people to find a scapegoat for the hardships they experience, such as increased immigration or more diverse workplaces, then sparking social polarization. So, broadening the criteria of cultural membership is crucial to the struggle against inequality and to strengthening the sense of community in our societies.

Key terms:

The American dream

Neoliberalism

Upward mobility

Cultural membership

Neoliberal virtues/ideal scripts of self

Rags-to-riches

Upper-middle class

Fear of falling

Discussion questions:

Have you encountered the narrative of the American dream in your own life? How? What are your opinions on its validity?

What are some examples of media that glorify and idealize wealth? How does this affect your hopes and aspirations for your future?

Have you encountered debates about ideas of cultural membership, who belongs in American society? To what extent is the American dream present in those debates you have witnessed?

Chapter 2

The View from Below: The Working Class and the Marginalized

Summary and overview:

In this chapter, Lamont focuses on the “bottom half” of society: the working class and religious, ethno-racial, and sexual minority groups who are often viewed as “less than.” She points to many reasons why workers’ dignity has deteriorated: stagnant wages despite inflation, decreasing union membership, lesser connections to social networks like family and religious organizations, and the erosion of government programs like public housing, unemployment benefits, and disability income. Led by the American dream narrative (see Chapter 1), the idea that one need only work hard to rise in status, those at the bottom believe that their struggles are caused by personal flaws, like a lack of drive or intelligence or determination. A consequence of this, Lamont argues, is crises like the opioid crisis: named “deaths of despair,” these are deaths caused by suicide or substance abuse concentrated among non-college-educated white people who are discouraged by the lack of prospects in a society where only those who achieve economic prosperity are valued.

In Lamont’s previous research, American workers were more likely to think of themselves as “losers” compared to professionals. They also drew moral boundaries between themselves and people they considered poor, attributing their lower income to laziness rather than structural inequality. White workers also had low opinions of poor Black people, pointing to stereotypes of the welfare recipient who took government “handouts” and cannot be self-reliant.

When it comes to ethno-racial groups, while many have experienced an expansion of recognition since World War II, Lamont observes a reversal of this progress of late. For example, xenophobic sentiments have gained popularity in recent populist political movements in the United States and Europe. The LGBTQ+ community is central to cultural wars of the Christian and radical right, where gender-affirming care for trans children has been subject to bans and deemed “child abuse.” Thus, boundaries between some marginalized and dominant groups are becoming stronger as a result of neoliberal models of self.

Key terms:

Workers

Self-reliance

Deaths of despair

Personal flaws vs. structural inequality

Populism

Cultural war

Group boundaries

Discussion questions:

Choose an identity group, such as the working class or an ethno-racial community. In what ways have they experienced an expansion of recognition? How has their recognition been challenged or reversed?

Do you agree that group boundaries are becoming stronger? What does this look like to you, and what influence do group boundaries have in your daily life?

Think of other ways recognition has been reversed and constrained recently. Why do you think this has occurred, and who are the key players?

Chapter 3

Meeting the Moment: How We Fight for a More Inclusive World

Summary and overview:

Lamont provides examples of how other academic fields address the current state of inequality and their shortcomings. For example, psychologists and public policy experts focus on grit, consumerist media pushes self-care and lifestyle products, and politicians prioritize economic solutions like taxation policies. While political and institutional changes are crucial, Lamont argues that fostering narrative change is necessary to promote recognition and belonging for historically marginalized and excluded groups.

She describes the relationship between moral and social boundaries, and this relationship is why fostering cultural change is necessary to the struggle against inequality. Moral judgments about others—such as that someone is uneducated, vulgar, or lazy—fosters divisions between groups based on what resources they have access to. To address inequality, we must confront stereotypes used to justify material inequity, because these stereotypes deem groups as less worthy.

Narratives are perspectives and ideas about society and social relationships that allow people to make sense of the world. In this case, these narratives are shared within groups and influence how we see our groups, as well as others. Examples of narratives include the American dream or stereotypes of Mexican immigrants as rapists and thieves pushed by former president Donald Trump. Narratives also shape how much we believe social change is possible and whether we view ourselves and others as having agency and social resilience.

Narratives are underdiscussed because governments prioritize economic policies, and economics provides only a partial understanding of the world. This, paired with cognitive psychology, gave rise to the science of nudging, which involves influencing behavior through noncoercive cues, and which reinforces a focus on the individual and on individualist narratives that downplay social dynamics. Additionally, psychologists have pointed to moral tribalism, the innate instinct to favor one’s own group and push away others, but this belief assumes and reinforces the idea that lines between groups are immutable. Instead, Lamont argues that perceptions of others and boundaries between us can and should be changed.

Key terms:

Psychology, public policy, economics

Moral vs. social boundaries

Cultural change vs. economic change

Stereotypes

Narratives

Nudging

Individualism

Moral tribalism

Discussion questions:

What are examples of narratives you have encountered in your communities?

Taking these examples, how have these narratives influenced your perceptions of yourself and others?

Discuss other perspectives Lamont cites in this chapter. What are the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments?

Chapter 4

Being the Change We Wish to See: Change Agents and the Quest for Dignity and Recognition

Summary and overview:

Beginning with a profile about visual artist Catherine Opie whose art portrays queer communities, and highlighting other artists like Deborah Willis and Hank Willis Thomas who focus on representing Black communities, Lamont explores how artists broaden definitions of who matters in society. These artists are examples of “change agents,” or individuals who work to shift how we perceive differences and other groups. As cultural entrepreneurs, they aim to combat stigmatization while expanding the visibility of marginalized groups and their recognition.

Lamont details the history of calls for recognition, reframing W. E. B. Du Bois’s concept of “double-consciousness” as a gap in recognition between what a Black person feels about their worth and what white society sees in them. Recognition is central to today’s social movements, such as Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.

“Woke culture,” with its varying implications and meanings, is, at the core, a way of understanding and dealing with the harms of oppressive systems; in other words, it is a culture of asserting one group’s right to be recognized.

Recognition is similarly important to right-wing activism. Donald Trump’s rhetoric recognizes the plight of America’s workers in the age of deindustrialization by blaming globalization and immigration for their downward mobility. Trump also invokes “the Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, a belief that liberal politicians encourage illegal immigration in order to “replace” voters on the right.

Lamont further argues that stigmatization and racism affect our well-being, citing higher overall levels of stress and chronic health problems among stigmatized groups. Thus, it is pertinent to expand ideas of belonging.

Key terms:

Double-consciousness

Woke culture

The Great Replacement

Stigmatization

Well-being

Discussion questions:

What does “woke” mean to you? Does it have positive or negative connotations? How does it make sense to you in the context of recognition?

Discuss examples of change agents in the arts, in popular culture, or in sports—how are they agents of change, and what are their causes for advocacy?

Think about a cultural agent whose work resonates with you. Why? Do they work to counter stigmatization, and if so, how?

Chapter 5

Changing Hearts and Minds: How Recognition Chains Amplify the Cultural Agenda

Summary and overview:

Lamont further describes the work of photographer Hank Willis Thomas, who recorded 150 Black men across the US. His work focused on the question “What does it mean to you to be a Black man?” Several organizations helped distribute the resulting video, “Quest Bridge,” namely, the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA). The CBMA, led by Shawn Dove, is a network that connects 4,800 community leaders and 3,000 organizations nationwide.

Lamont describes CBMA as an example of a part of a “recognition chain,” which is a network of change agents and organizations that amplify messages of recognition. There are many parties involved in recognition chains; for example, art critics, art consumers, galleries, and foundations all help disseminate narratives of inclusion.

The philanthropic sector is also crucial to recognition chains by providing funding to projects focused on social justice. However, critics of the philanthropic sector argue that philanthropy is insufficient to promote, and even disables, systemic change.

Digital technology platforms are key players in recognition chains as well. They can shift how cultural entrepreneurs’ work is promoted and sustained, as on Patreon, or in investing in creators who belong to marginalized groups, as with Netflix.

The narrative industry plays an important though less salient role in recognition chains. Social change organizations like Purpose, Swayable, More in Common, and Change.org work in the field of strategic communication to scale up messages of recognition, which contribute to stigma reduction by making such messages widely available.

Media play an important though complicated role in recognition chains. Digital media like social apps and distribution platforms challenge the popularity of older media like newspapers and print publications. New forms of media are more inclusive, allowing for stronger recognition chains and democratization. However, while expanding the number of people who can share their opinions widely, echo chambers and filter bubbles are enforced by algorithms and an overwhelming amount of information. Young people get their information from social media at increasing levels. Older media like news television feel compelled to appeal to more audiences, like Fox News–style “infotainment.”

Institutions like unions and religion contribute to fostering solidarity, though both have been on a decline in past years. Religious institutions influence recognition and dignity narratives, and some religious leaders choose to address inequality and reducing stigmatization. Education shapes our perceptions of society as well, and school curricula have become sites of political debate, with the recent banning of books and critical race theory. Higher education has encouraged academics to write about closing recognition gaps.

Recognition is also important to the right, promoting a white “manosphere” who feel a loss of status from progressive movements, demographic changes, and economic shifts. These movements often promote nihilism and a distrust in government.

Key terms:

Recognition chains

Philanthropic sector

Digital technology platforms

Narrative industry

Networks

Media

Discussion questions:

Discuss examples of parties involved in recognition chains, like Patreon or CBMA. How have you seen them amplify messages of inclusion? Are there limits to their influence?

What do you think about the role of philanthropy in social justice? How does it enable social change? How does it get in the way?

Consider the role that media play in recognition chains and the increasing power of social media and “infotainment”-style news. What are the pros and cons of this shift?

Chapter 6

Strategies for Transformation: The Work of Change Agents in Hollywood and Beyond

Summary and overview:

Strategies for promoting narratives of inclusion and social justice are diverse, from visual artists to poets to political campaigns. Another example of change agents is comedians and Hollywood creatives who use characters, jokes, or narratives to displace stereotypes about stigmatized groups. One of the seventy-five comedians and creatives interviewed, W. Kamau Bell, describes how he wants to reach across racial divides using humor and honesty, and to shift how white viewers perceive Black Americans.

In Hollywood, one strategy that creatives use is called “reflecting reality,” or telling stories that avoid reinforcing stereotypes and depict the realities of marginalized individuals’ everyday lives. Another strategy is “emotional modulation,” which appeals to viewers’ emotions to shift their perspectives. “The Trojan Horse,” a less common strategy, is when seemingly neutral entertainment includes subtle social messaging. Hollywood creatives are also rethinking how different groups are represented and have access to their field. “See it to be it” is an effort to open career opportunities to members of marginalized groups.

Comedians face different circumstances and tend to be more independent, thus expanding recognition through self-presentation. Comedians from underrepresented groups claim a spot in their field, while some argue that social change is outside the possibilities of comedy, deeming social messaging as lesser: “clapter.”

Some change agents are more focused on social justice and policy, like civic organizers or activists. These include Rashad Robinson, Ami McReynolds, Jee Kim, and Phillip Atiba Goff. Politicians and political media can be included in the category of change agents, such as leftist change agents and those who advocate for reform within the capitalist system.

Key terms:

Reflecting reality

Emotional modulation

The Trojan Horse

See it to be it

Clapter

Leftist vs. capitalist-oriented change agents

Discussion questions:

Give examples of each of the four strategies used by Hollywood creatives or their shows to promote messages of inclusion. How compelling do you find these examples?

To what extent can comedy, or other forms of performance art, be used to promote social change? To what extent can we expect that art is used for social messaging?

Who are other change agents, not mentioned in this chapter, who inspire you? Why? What messages do they amplify?

Chapter 7

The Next Generation: How Gen Z Fights for the Future

Summary and overview:

Lamont discusses how Gen Z envisions the fight for social justice. She studied Gen Z attitudes through interviews with college students before and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gen Z, or zoomers, is the first cohort to grow up with the internet and share experiences like coming of age during the pandemic, political polarization, growing inequality, and a future threatened climate change. While this generation has many shared traits, it is important to note that they are not a monolith. For instance, political attitudes and “styles” differ across classes; working-class youth may feel that confrontation is essential for social change, while middle-class counterparts emphasize kindness and harmony.

While still embracing traditional ideas of the American dream—that is, young people still aspire to upward mobility for themselves—Gen Z also leads the charge in including and recognizing the dignity of all groups. Gen Z embraces aspects of the neoliberal ideal self, like work ethic, self-reliance, and the pursuit of professional success and material wealth. These ideas have taken on a new form, however, in that Gen Z frames these traits as tools for self-actualization. Some young people are skeptical of consumerism. Others feel a push-and-pull between ambition and career on the one hand and mental health on the other. Prioritizing mental health can look like finding work-life balance, maintaining meaningful relationships, and even investing in a therapeutic culture of self-care.

Especially post-pandemic, members of this generation valued a collectivist measure of success, community contribution. This generation’s embrace of recognition can be seen in memes, sayings like “I see you,” or political movements like the resurgence of Black Lives Matter in the summer of 2020. Gen Z has also developed a cohort narrative, which is an articulated story about their group and who they are, in contrast to boomers (“Move over!). Gen Z is also distinctly generous, with 32 percent donating to causes they believe in and 50 percent looking for jobs in the nonprofit sector. In particular, students from privileged backgrounds envision playing leadership roles in fostering change.

More young people have expressed a sense of hope for the future, as seen in opinion surveys and in Lamont’s interviewees. This may be associated with several progressive victories, like the defeat of President Trump and Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020. Zoomers define themselves in contrast to baby boomers and Gen X, claiming that Gen Z is more proactive against climate change or more open-minded, though the older generations played a large role in the early fight for civil rights. Political engagement is particularly high among Gen Z college students, even when compared to the radical cohorts of the 1960s.

Despite these reasons to be optimistic about the future, young people are critical of political polarization, “political correctness,” and “activism fatigue.” They are also disappointed by the way political slogans are co-opted by corporations. Some express disillusionment with the political process.

Gen Z looks to change agents, institutions, and their peers for inspiration. These influencers include activists like Greta Thunberg, politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, entertainers like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, or online creators like Ben Shapiro or “The Young Turks.” Progressive change agents outweigh conservatives. Institutions include nonprofits, higher education, and religion.

Key terms:

Cohort and cohort narrative

Gen Z, baby boomers

Consumerism

Therapeutic culture

Black Lives Matter, 2020

1960s student protests

Political correctness

Political polarization

Activism fatigue

Discussion questions:

Discuss your generation’s cohort narrative. Do you feel one exists? Do you think that it is true? Provide examples.

Voting and participating in the political process are cited as necessary ways to effect change. What are your feelings toward the political process? Are there aspects of recognition and inequality that can and cannot be addressed simply through voting?

What are your attitudes toward previous generations? Are there aspects of their political movements you are inspired by? What are their shortcomings?

Gen Z often turns to the internet for spreading political messages or advocating for a cause. To what degree do you believe this is effective? What are the consequences?

Chapter 8

Different yet the Same: Solutions for Building an Inclusive Society

Summary and overview:

In this chapter, Lamont discusses how we can create and amplify inclusive narratives in our daily lives. In her words, how do we expand definitions of worth to include new measures like spirituality, morality, altruism, creative, and civic-mindedness?

Institutions play a role: for example, employers can put in place human resources policies that allow for better work-life and work-family balance. Individuals can also promote broader criteria of worth, whether it be expanding our communities across racial and class boundaries, lowering the expectations to achieve within our families, or exposing ourselves to diversity. While recognition and worth cannot eliminate suffering, alternative standards of worth improve people’s sense of agency and dignity, promoting lower levels of depression and higher subjective well-being.

Ordinary universalism is a lens through which we focus on what we have in common with others, what makes us all similar. Lamont points to her past interviews with immigrant workers from Morocco and Algeria living in France, who described similarities like our shared human nature, that there are “good and bad people in all races,” and our shared spiritual origin, that “we are all children of God.”

Ordinary universalism has been shown to produce a strong feeling of resilience and solidarity, as seen in a study of female janitors in a Mumbai mall and between students and janitors in Malaysia. Creating common ground and unity is necessary as political polarization and echo chambers are rampant. According to social psychologists Matthew Feinberg and Robb Willer, focusing on shared values like dignity or family constitutes a “moral reframing,” a more productive way to debate policy issues.

Young people show ordinary universalism by embracing global popular culture and emphasizing “aesthetic cosmopolitanism” that includes hybrid genres and communities. Ordinary universalism also looks like honoring our differences in identity. Corporations and other organizations promote ordinary universalism, too, through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. While many believe these initiatives ring hollow as marketing ploys, small decisions may create change and slowly and steadily transform broader patterns.

The quest for recognition is shared among people across ideological lines—though the polarized camps deem recognition a zero-sum game. We should recognize how our claims overlap.

We can also work to reduce the stigma of marginalized groups. Lamont provides the examples of those living with HIV or AIDS and people labeled obese. As for people living with HIV or AIDS, credible experts, journalists, and activists led the destigmatization charge. They used language centered on equality, human rights, and dignity to amplify a narrative that anyone could be affected by such a medical condition, instead of language that blames the afflicted for their own conditions or rests on stereotypes identifying gay men as sexually promiscuous. On the other hand, people labeled obese had fewer forms of support in that medical professionals were not yet ready to support the idea that body-mass index does not matter. The stereotype that obese people are lazy, uneducated, and irresponsible is thus harder to shake. One had a recognition chain of support from prestigious public figure and experts, and the other did not.

Activists must also overcome a “clash of background assumptions” where they cannot have constructive dialogue with opposing views, because the camps do not have a shared language; thus, recruiting “outsiders” who are allies is crucial as well. Recognition chains can benefit from sectors like advertising: though some dismiss body inclusivity and “branding diversity” campaigns as crass marketing gimmicks, they still diffuse inclusive messaging at a high level.

Governments play an important role in expanding recognition by promoting multiculturalism. Providing funding for the art, culture, and traditions of various ethnic groups is one strategy. Laws can either enforce societal hierarchies or recognize the agency of groups, as seen in the battle over abortion rights in the US, Latin America, and globally.

Key terms:

Ordinary universalism

Shared human nature, shared spiritual origin, physical similarities, shared needs, shared cosmological humility

Moral reframing

Aesthetic cosmopolitanism

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

HIV/AIDS vs. obesity destigmatization campaigns

Clash of background assumptions

Outsiders

Branding diversity

Discussion questions:

Have you seen diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in communities or institutions in which you participate? How do these initiatives effect, or fail to effect, narrative change?

What are some examples you have seen of activists recruiting “outsiders” to aid their cause? Do you believe this strategy is effective?

Discuss the concept of “clashing background assumptions.” Does this ring true in your life when discussing politics or controversial topics? Why or why not do you think this is the case?

Conclusion: Strengthening Our Capacity to Live Better Together

Summary and overview:

To conclude, Lamont provides an example of how recognition chains of activists, change agents, the government, communities, and ordinary people played a role in the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, the first state in the US to do so.

Seeing Others is written for understanding the past, present, and future: how we found ourselves in this current moment and where to find hope ahead of us. Young people, following in the footsteps of the civil rights and second-wave feminist movements, and other individuals can make a difference. This difference can happen through amplifying narratives that “strengthen our capacity to create the world we wish to live in.”

Hope is necessary for progress; it is a plan for the future dictated by a horizon of possibility. But progress should not be taken for granted, as it can be reversed, and backlash can be drastic, as we have seen in recent years. We need to take an active role in reengineering our world, creating and circulating narratives and broader ideas of who is worthy and who belongs.

Seeking or creating diverse and inclusive communities is crucial to decreasing prejudice and discrimination. Integration must also occur at a higher, social level, wherein we all take ownership of the issue at hand. We should shift our focus away from individual virtues like grit and from narratives that place the blame of struggle on ourselves alone. Instead, we should channel our energies into creating institutions and cultural scripts that help promote solidarity and inclusion. Inclusion means welcoming people who are different from us and trying to understand people we disagree with.

Many corporations and universities institute unconscious or implicit bias awareness training with the assumption that mere awareness would reduce prejudice. These biases, however, are difficult to unlearn. We should work to reduce stigma and “[transform] the lenses through which groups are perceived” wholly.

Recognition and dignity are important around the world, too. Like the American dream, European countries and China offer their own “dream” of upward mobility. Income inequality and decreased upward mobility are pervasive problems everywhere. American racial justice movements strengthened mobilization movements around the world, such as Black Lives Matter, anti–Asian hate campaigns, and Indigenous rights movements.

Social divisions are not immutable. We can spur change through small and large decisions we make every day, from where we send our kids to schools to whom we welcome into our communities. Dignity is not a luxury but a key influencing factor in our health and well-being. Recognition needs to be considered in policy decisions and advocacy. Everyone wins in a society with stronger bonds of solidarity.

Key terms:

Hope

Unconscious/implicit bias

Global recognition movements

Discussion questions:

Think about a demographic group to which you belong. Have your perspectives on others changed because of this experience? Do you feel especially bound to or affiliated with this group? Have your feelings of belonging shifted over time or in response to societal conditions?

Think of an example of a recent social movement. What role did hope play in this movement?

What are some choices you can make today to expand recognition and embrace ordinary universalism?

How do you experience hope, and what can you do to experience it better and more often?